Building stock: documentation of statistics

A building refers to any independent structure permanently constructed or erected on its site. It has its own entrance and contains covered space intended for different purposes, usually enclosed within outer walls or walls separating it from other structures (buildings).

Caves and other subterranean spaces which are mainly enclosed within rock or similar walls and/or which do not contain structures comparable to the interior structures of buildings proper, such as underground oil tanks, are not buildings.

Buildings do not include light-structured stalls, kiosks and the like, which do not include spaces separated by closed walls, or transportable caravans, ships and so on.

The building data derive from the building information system maintained by the Finnish Environment Institute Syke.

The building stock statistics of Statistics Finland do not include:

- liquid storage buildings
- buildings used only in agricultural production
- sauna buildings belonging to residential buildings
- outhouses of residential buildings
- buildings entirely controlled by foreign missions
- buildings of the Finnish Defence Forces,
- air raid shelters

except where the above-mentioned buildings are occupied or have commercial properties.


The data on new production of buildings do not include:

- buildings entirely controlled by foreign missions
- buildings of the Finnish Defence Forces
- air raid shelters

The building material refers to the material from which the vertical supporting structures of the building are mainly made. The classification is as follows:
- concrete, light concrete
- brick
- steel
- wood
- other, unknown.

Data on the facilities of dwellings and buildings are derived from the dwelling and building data of the Finnish Environment Institute.

The facilities in a dwelling:
- sewage
- running water
- toilet
- hot water
- washing facilities (shower, bathroom or sauna)
- sauna in the dwelling
- central or electric heating.

The data on a dwelling’s facilities have been used in determining the standard of facilities in the dwelling.

Facilities in a building:

- electricity
- sewage
- running water
- hot water
- lift
- sauna in the building
- mechanical ventilation
- air raid shelter.

The gross floor area of a building comprises the floor areas of the different storeys and the area of attic or basement storeys in which there are dwelling or working rooms or other space conforming to the principal intended use of the building.

The gross floor area is the horizontal area enclosed by the outer surfaces of the walls of the storeys or their imagined continuation for openings and decorations on the surface of the outer walls.

Heating system refers to the main method of heating used in the heating of a building. Data on the heating system are also available for dwellings. Data on the heating system have been obtained from the building information system maintained by the Finnish Environment Institute Syke, which receives them from municipal building supervision authorities by way of building project notices. Information about a change in the heating system of a building is transmitted to the system only if the modifications in question have required a building permit.

The classification is as follows:
- central water heating
- central air heating
- electric heating
- oven-fireplace-stove heating
- solar heating
- air source heat pump
- no fixed heating installation
- unknown.

In a water central heating system, the building is heated with circulating water, and in an air central heating system, with circulating air. In direct electric heating, the building is heated with the aid of a fixed radiator, etc. connected directly to the electricity network.

In stove heating, heating takes place by burning wood or other fuels in a fireplace (stove) that stores heat. Stove heating also includes electric heating reservoirs, separate fixed oil heaters and heat preserving fireplaces (not lightweight). Stoves used for heating saunas are not regarded as heating equipment.

The following network connections are identified for a building:
- sewage
- running water
- electricity
- natural gas.

The number of storeys in a building consists of all storeys that are primarily above ground level and in which there are habitable rooms or office space or other space conforming to the intended use of the building. If the number of storeys varies in different parts of the building, the number usually refers to the largest number of storeys in the building.

For buildings completed after 1980, the number of storeys is expressed as an average number that takes into account the whole building if the share of the gross floor area of a certain storey out of the gross floor area of the main storeys is very small. For instance, if a large industrial unit is mainly a one-storey building, but office space is located on three storeys, then the number of storeys is given as one.

Municipal sub-areas are formed of operationally functional wholes defined by the municipality itself, which are the basis of the municipality's regional planning and monitoring. Statistics Finland is responsible for digitising new sub-area boundaries and for maintaining name files. Municipalities have the opportunity to check their sub-area division once a year.

The division into sub-areas is a hierarchical three-level classification which has a 1-digit major area level, a 2-digit statistical area level and a 3-digit small area level. Sub-areas are numbered consecutively using these three hierarchical levels. The 6-digit sub-area code is bound to the 3-digit municipality code, so the sub-area code consists of a total of nine characters.

Dwellings are classified according to the type of building as follows:

- one to two-dwelling houses: one to two-dwelling houses and permanently occupied free-time residences
- terraced houses: detached houses with at least three adjoining dwellings and where the spaces belonging to different dwellings are not on top of each other.
- blocks of flats: residential buildings of at least three dwellings in which at least two dwellings are located on top of each other and which do not belong to the categories above
- other buildings: also buildings whose type of building is unknown.

Buildings are divided into the following categories by tenure status:
- private person/ death estate
- housing corporation or co-operative
- real estate corporation
- private company
- company controlled by the State or municipality
- State or municipal corporation
- bank or insurance company
- municipality
- State
- social security fund
- religious community, foundation, party, etc.
- other or unknown.

The year of construction refers to the year in which the building was completed and was ready for use. If the building was completed prior to 1980, the year of renovation may have been entered as the year of construction.